Perfect Start to the Season: What to Make of It so Far

Sorry my friends! Med school life has not been kind to my free time so I have had no time to write a meaningful post…I think I may start to post small snippets and thoughts as opposed to actual analysis and posts depending on my schedule…but again my apologies. 

Well in the past two weeks, we have seen our Blues storm to first place at the top of the table and a perfect start with three wins in just as many games. Before we get too excited thought, let us take a step back and think about some things. Our first two games were against Burnley and Leicester City. Respectable teams without a doubt but still at the end of the day, freshly promoted teams who will most likely be fighting to stay in the top flight this year. For Chelsea, in my opinion, it was not a question of “if” but more of a question of “by how much” when it came to the result of these games. These are the type of games that gave us trouble last year and it was very relieving for me to see Chelsea come through in emphatic fashion. The game especially against Leicester City was a strong comparison point in terms of this year and last year. The team started a little bit flat and really could not get anything going in the final third; the passing was sloppy, the decision making poor, and the runs simply not there. The Chelsea of last year would have had struggled to get a goal in the second half and may have limped to a draw. However, with the new signings of Costa and Fabregas, and the much improved talents of Schurrle and Hazard, we were able to crack the wall in front of us and cruise to a comfortable victory. This win to me has been our most important so far. We were able to finish off a lower level team and secure the three points that were expected of us. 

This past week’s match against Everton was entertaining to watch no doubt but left some positive and some negatives. Starting with the positives, I think it is safe to say that the “boring, park the bus” Chelsea is long gone. Even though they gave up 6 goals, Everton by no means played a poor match, their defense may have been poor for many a stretch but they still played well. Chelsea’s attack had a fluidity and menace to it that we have not seen in a long time. There was a focus and intensity that we had lacked many a time last year. Any hint of injury to Costa was simply shrugged off as he scored a brace and improved his Premier League tally to 4 goals in just 3 games. Hazard showed that he can take over a game at any instant but he still needs to show that he is threat for the full 90 minutes…not just a 10-15 minute span. Schurrle when fully fit needs to start over Willian in my opinion. Willian was his usual workforce self but other than that he had no real impact on the game in my eyes. His passing was mediocre at best and he seemed to choose an ill-advised shot over passing and creating a chance for his teammate. Also, he lacks the instinctive runs that Schurrle brings to the table which will end up opening up space for the likes of Hazard and Fabregas to work their magic. Now, onto the negatives….defense, defense, defense. Our defense looked solid the first two weeks but was completely shredded this week. Why? I couldn’t tell you but I did notice that the majority of Everton’s goals and chances came off of crosses and set pieces. Marking the man and restricting chances are areas that do not trouble our back line. However, we seem lost and a little bit out of place when it comes to set pieces. Someone just seems to be out of position every time a goal is scored and it is never just one person. This may be a result of Courtois getting used to communicating with his backline but hopefully we do not see another performance like this. Courtois seemed a little shaky to me in this match. He had good instinct going up for the ball and intercepting but he seems to like to rush the ball back into play to push the attack. One instance he tried to throw the ball to Azpi but he ended up giving the ball away in the final third of his own pitch…He redeemed himself seconds later with a world class save but mistakes like that cannot happen against the likes of Man City, Arsenal, Liverpool, or UCL calibre teams. 

But at the end of day, Chelsea stand with 9 out of the possible 9 points with an astounding 11 goals scored and 4 goals against. Our offense looks like a machine that is finally gelling and raring to go and with the signing of Loic Remy our depth is also looking very good. The next few weeks should be exciting to watch and as always KTBFFH!

Chelsea 3 — Burnley 1: Reactions and Thoughts on our First Win

And with that the Premier League season is now fully underway. Monday’s match against Burnley wrapped up an action packed Matchday 1 around the Premier League and what a match it was. Before the match had even started we had our first buzz of drama surrounding the new season. Returning loanee Thibaut Courtois was to make his Chelsea debut with Petr Cech on the bench. While Mourinho insists that this decision is not set in stone and that he encourages both to fight for their place, I believe that the situation is a little bit more developed than that. If rumors are true then Courtois is on the verge of signing a new 5 year extension with the club. Now why would he do that if his place was to be on the bench for the next year or two? I think news of this extension means that Cech’s days at the club are numbered. If he really wants to stay and be our Cup goalkeeper than by all means that’d be great but I honestly believe that he deserves much more respect than that. He will always be a club legend for us; on the same level of Drogba, Lampard, and Terry. He was a staple in between our posts for the past decade and he was and still remains one of the best if not top three goalkeepers in the entire world. Unfortunately, as Cech may remember with his time with Cudicini, the future starts now with Courtois. With Courtois, we may as well have the next 10-15 years of goalkeeping settled if not more. Can’t really blame Mourinho with this choice here and honestly if Cech were given the starting spot I would have been surprised. His decision paid off as Courtois looked composed, strong, and solid in his time in between the posts. That goal by Burnley was pure class and couldn’t be helped but he did make some nice as well as smart saves when called upon. 

Now on to the match itself, from the get go, Chelsea seemed pretty energetic and created chances. The goal from Burnley was just too good though some defensive miscues led to the window of an opening that was taken swiftly. However, Burnley seemed to have awakened the beast when they took that shock lead over us. Within minutes, Chelsea’s energetic and fast paced passing created chance after chance. It was finally when Diego Costa was awarded for being at the right place at the right time that we leveled. Great positioning and running throughout the match by Costa. He ran with a purpose and made the Burnley defensive players fear him. He gave us that edge in the final third that we had really been lacking these few seasons. He’s starting to look more and more like a shrewd signing by Mourinho. What sets him apart form Torres or Ba or Eto’o for that matter was that Costa went in guns afire so to speak. He was not afraid to throw himself at the opposition and make something happen. Too often last year, our strikers faltered at the last second, whether it was lack of confidence, rhythm, or a little bit of both, that intangible factor was missing. Costa brings that and more to the table. That yellow card was a bit harsh in my opinion…did Costa deserve a penalty? I’ll be honest and say I didn’t think so. His foot was tapped by the keeper by the contact was not anywhere near penalty worthy in my opinion. But overall, great debut for Costa and hopefully Chelsea fans will be cheering his name more often as he looks to add to his Premier League goal tally as the year goes on.

 

The attacking mids were great in my opinion. Schurrle continues to show the world his growth as he shrugged off any notion of a World Cup hangover. Actually, he looked even more fitter and stronger than last year. His backtracking looks much improved and he was not afraid to take the offensive without crossing the line over to being selfish. He looked to contribute and set up his teammates much more than Oscar or Willian have usually done. Hazard was just….well Hazard. His play in the first half was breathtaking….as if the ball was glued to his boots the entire time. His distribution was fantastic, even hitting an astounding 22/22 at one point. His tailing back and defensive work would have left a positive note in Mourinho’s mind as well. Though at times he did tend to over complicate things, with time and some more maturing, its going to be scary to see what he’ll do. Oscar looked better than his end of season form from last year and he seemed motivated by the extra competition this year. Nothing special from the Brazilian but he did do what he usually does. The hustle plays and providing a good motor for the team. 

Now the man of the match: Cesc Fabregas. That flick/poke to Schurrle for the goal was top class if not out of this world. I remember watching the stream and just going ballistic after seeing that beauty of a ball. His vision and his creativity are something that we sorely missed the past couple years and it’s already mouth-watering thinking of the potential link ups we can have throughout the course of the season with Fabregas pulling the strikes. Simply sublime. His delivery of set pieces was precise and well delivered as well. He may as well turn out to be the best buy of the summer! 

Defense looked solid as usual and it was great to see that they were able to work and communicate efficiently with Courtois. Look for this defense to lead the league in clean sheets and GA this year as Mourinho’s teams always boast a strong defensive ability. 

Overall, this was a great game and very reassuring for Blues fans around the world. The buyings from this summer seem to be paying their dividends and Mourinho finally seems to have completed his squad to his liking. The first half was an attacking masterclass while the second half was an efficient closing to a great game from all. We finally look like a complete machine and I’m sure Chelsea fans all over the globe are sleeping well knowing that their team could very steamroll its way to trophies galore this year. 

 

Finally the Start of the Season!!

Hey all! 

Tomorrow’s the day we’ve all been waiting for! The season is finally going to start for our Blues. Games going to be against Burnley, one of the newly promoted teams. Never count out an upset but hopefully Mourinho and the lads can give us a good show! Literally can not wait for this moment!! 

Predicted Line-Up: Courtois, Azpilicueta, Cahill, Terry (c), Luis, Fabregas, Matic, Oscar, Hazard, Schurrle, Costa

Predicted Subs: Torres, Willian, Van Ginkel

Predicted Score: Chelsea 3-0

Look for Chelsea to make a statement in this win. No matter what Mourinho says about stamina or resting players, he will want to come out and really send a message to the field: Chelsea mean business this season. Also, look for Costa to further prove himself as a marquee signing and to show his worth. I think he will score at least once in his PL debut. 

Andre Schurrle: What to do with Chelsea’s Budding Young Star

An impact signing made last summer, Andre Schurrle came to Chelsea on a £18 million fee. During his arrival, many questioned what his role would be with the team. In a midfield so crowded with talent and promise, would Schurrle even get a glimpse of the pitch? On the heels of the Deadline day signing of Willian, Schurrle’s prospects of nailing down a permanent role on the team seemed distant but there was no denying his talents. At Bayer Leverkeusen, Schurrle made a name for himself scoring a total of 21 goals in 75 appearances while averaging roughly 3 shots per game. While not exactly eye opening, there was no denying the potential Schurrle displayed in the competitive Bundesliga. Last season at Chelsea, Schurrle played more of the super-sub role, coming in off the bench and providing a spark for Mourinho’s squad scoring 9 goals in 20 appearances. Despite his improvements throughout the season, Mourinho still opted to choose Willian over Schurrle on the right wing. Here we will make a side-by-side comparison of the two.

**Stats retrieved from whoscored.com

Offense

 

Andre Schurrle	Apps	Goals	Assists	Shots	Key Passes	Pass Success
Premier League	30 (15)	8	2	1.9	1	82.6
FIFA World Cup	6 (6)	3	1	2.5	0.5	83.3

 

Willian	Apps	Goals	Assists	Shots	Key Passes	Pass Success
Premier League	25 (7)	4	2	1.8	2.6	85.6
FIFA World Cup	5 (4)	0	0	0.6	1.6	94.7

Here we can clearly see that Schurrle has the upper hand offensively when compared to Willian. In the earlier part of the year, I would argue that Willian was a more refined player but during the latter part of the season, Schurrle really came into his own as shown by his superb World Cup. What the stats fail to show in regards to his Cup performance was his movement and pace, as well as his decision making; often making the right pass or taking the shot with confidence. Willian does add in more creativity and flair, trademark of his Brazilian heritage with 2.6 key passes as opposed to Schurrle’s 1.0. However, both tallied the same amount of assists with Schurrle nearlying tripling Willian’s goal tally while coming off the majority of the time. Especially during the World Cup, Schurrle has shown confidence and a killer instinct in front of goal. With his improved movement, vision, and finishing, Schurrle really played a vital cog in Germany’s World Cup run highlighted by his assist towards the winning goal in the Final. Willian while a great supporter really lacks the firepower that Schurrle brings to the table.

Winner: Schurrle by a long mile. The improvements he has shown during the World Cup and early pre-season makes him by far a better option offensively than Willian and Oscar for that matter. Look for him to score at least 10 PL goals this season and maybe even approach 15 goals.

Defense

 

Andre Schurrle	Apps	Tackles	Int	Fouls	Beaten
Premier League	30 (15)	1.3	0.6	0.7	0.6
FIFA World Cup	6 (6)	1.3	0.7	1.2	0.3

 

Willian	Apps	Tackles	Int	Fouls	Beaten
Premier League	25 (7)	1.8	0.7	1	0.8
FIFA World Cup	5 (4)	0.4	0	0.6	0.4

This is the main reason I believe Mourinho called upon Willian so often in comparison to Schurrle. Willian’s “jack of all trades” label and his strong willingness to track back and hassle the opponents in the back third was what saw the likes of Juan Mata and Kevin De Bruyne sold as well as Eden Hazard get publicly called out. Also, his seemingly endless motor really helped personify Chelsea’s “grind it out” mentality throughout the season. However, when one takes a closer look at the stats Schurrle doesn’t come in that far behind his counterpart. Willian averaged 1.8 tackles while Schurrle averaged a close 1.3 while making 0.6 int compared to Willian’s 0.7. While maybe not immediate, this does show that as time progressed he began to show the same willingness to track back and play defense as Mourinho so wishes from members of his team. Though tracking back wasn’t done so recklessly by Schurrle as he also averaged less fouls than Willian while being beaten on the ball less as well. Though what gives Willian the advantage is his endless motor and stamina which would allow him to create counters at crucial points in the waning minutes of the match.

Winner: Willian though the race is closer than many would presume. Schurrle showed massive improvement in this aspect as the year wore on. Willian’s motor and endless stamina really pushes him ahead on this one however, as throughout the season he has displayed the most consistency.

Who deserves to start?

In my opinion Schurrle should be given the nod this season. What he has shown towards the end of the season and especially at the World Cup, is that he is a player who has matured greatly grown in confidence. His performances in preseason, especially against Ferencvaros, shows that he is ready to take the big stage. While Willian was great and did well, he simply doesn’t give Chelsea what they need. At many times last season, Chelsea seemed to be lacking firepower and an option up front. Like his Brazilian compatriot Oscar, Willian at many times seemed to be looking to score first instead of setting up his teammates. This sort of selfish decision making is not something that will help our forwards score. Simply put, while Willian does provide support for our defenseive lines, he doesn’t give us that extra “oomph” in the final third that will score goals. Willian I can see being used in Schurrle’s role last season; coming off the bench as a “super-sub” either used for scraping out a big play or maintaining a tight lead. Another plus for Schurrle to start is to ride on his confidence. The man is on a high after becoming a World Champion this summer and to keep a budding star brimming with confidence on the bench would be a waste of a perfect opportunity. Let him run free at the beginning of the season against some of the lower teams like Burnley and Leicester and see what he can do. If he can keep the ball rolling both literally and metaphorically, Chelsea may have another recognized world class star in their midsts.

Week of Aug. 4th: Round-up!

A more quiet week for the Blues…Besides our 3-0 drubbing at the hands of Werder Bremen not much new on the front as Mourinho and the boys trudge through the pre-season and working out the last minute kinks before the Premier League season kicks off in T-14 days.

Oriol Romeu leaves the club on loan to Stuttgart…honestly, no surprise here. I was actually really surprised when I heard that Romeu had signed an extension for us but with the central midfield packed with the likes of Matic, Fabregas, Van Ginkel, Ramires, and Mikel; it was going to be very hard for Romeu to find any minutes on the pitch. Wishing him the best next season at Stuttgart.

The one move that may have sent shockwaves in the Chelsea community was with recently removed club legend Frank Lampard. Earlier in the summer it was revealed that Super Frank was going to start his career away from Chelsea with Mancester City’s MLS daughter club NYCFC. However, recent news have Lampard joining Premier League rivals Mancester City on a 6 month loan until the MLS season kicks off in March. Some Chelsea fans are outraged and clamor against this move but personally I don’t have a problem with it. Nothing against Lampard here, but his days playing high level football are over as we saw last season and during the World Cup. At most, he will play an impact sub but even then with City’s crowded midfield I can’t see him cracking any sort of significant minutes. Also, Frank’s a competitor: we all know that. Did we really expect him to sit out for 6-7 months before MLS season starts? Honestly, I just see this stint with City as a way to keep in shape while training with a quality squad to make sure his skills don’t dull. While it will definitely be weird seeing him don a City jersey when he does play for City. I’m not going to be harboring any hard feelings toward him for it.

Lastly, all of Chelsea’s world cup stars should ALL be back in training by now…meaning that Mourinho will have his entire squad at his disposal now so he can continue to mold these players into his liking before we play Burnley in a couple of weeks. With Schurrle, Hazard, Oscar, Willian, Courtois, and Ramires all back for good, can’t wait to see how the next preseason match goes!

Romelu Lukaku “Writes a New Chapter”…The Bloody Hell does that Mean?

This summer’s transfer window is nothing without a little bit of drama in the form of Romelu Lukaku. With Chelsea expecting those from the Belgian squad to report to camp today, Lukaku posted on his Twitter:

Last summer, the Belgian striker was surprisingly loaned out at the last minute to Everton. Many speculated his last minute move to be a result of his penalty miss against Bayern or a feud with coach Jose Mourinho. However, after much speculation and rumors galore, Lukaku himself came out and said that he had, in fact, asked for a loan because he wanted to be the first choice striker. After a season with the Toffees, many Chelsea fans were drooling at the prospect of having another weapon to add in the front alongside Diego Costa. However, enter again Lukaku and his unwillingness to play second fiddle. Belgian newspaper DH has reported that Chelsea have agreed a 30 million pound fee that would allow the striker to sign a 5 year deal with Everton. The move is yet to be official but along with his cryptic Twitter message this could be done very soon.

I am a Chelsea fan who honestly will not be terribly saddened by the loss of the Belgian. I was one of those who was literally salivating at the thought of having a future Drogba in our ranks but now, I honestly could not care more. Yes we’d lose a massive weapon up front who could potentially score 10-15 goals if not more. Yes, we’d be a bit thin in attack considering the injury-prone natures of all three of our strikers. But we’d be rid of one huge, hulking headache in the form of Lukaku. This situation would not be good at all for the Blues in any way with his attitude. The guy is only 21. 21, ladies and gentlemen. Yet he carries himself around like a 25-26 year old veteran with a proven track record. He scored an impressive 17 goals for West Brom in 20 appearances which really opened my eyes. But last year, he only managed 15 goals in 29 for Everton. While still better than the goal tally by our trio of strikers last season, he did not improve as I had hoped. Watching him at Everton and eventually in the World Cup, he seemed still very raw but brimming with potential. His runs seemed a bit too rash and not calculated, his dribbling still very unpolished, and his positioning would seem completely lost at times. What he has to realize is that he can’t keep carrying himself as a man of potential but as a man of record which honestly he doesn’t have right now. Lukaku has to know that he has at least 10-15 years of his career ahead of him. If he stays at Chelsea and scores 10-15 goals as the second striker he will try and force Jose’s hand and become the first striker. Whether its through jabs in the press or social media, I wouldn’t put it past him to act like a huge headcase. If he doesn’t perform as expected, he will blame his form on the lack of playing time, etc. and force Jose’s hand again. Either way, we’re headed for a headache in the locker room, and with Chelsea’s multiple title aspirations, that is something we do not need in the slightest. Right now, the humble and sensible thing to do is learn from the likes of Costa and Drogba, better yet Mourinho…one of the greatest coaches in the world. With a squad like Chelsea playing tournaments left and right, as the second striker you would be getting more than enough playing time to develop at the bigger stages. Then in a couple years as Costa ages and Drogba fades, take your chance and lead Chelsea to glory for the next decade. He could forge a legend to his name at the club.

Unfortunately, Lukaku seems allergic to any sort of competition and would rather have the easy way out. And if he really wants it that way, he will only continue to stagnate like he has shown in recent times and never fulfill his potential. If Chelsea sell him to Everton, I’d say let him be satisfied being the go to man on a team that will never realistically finish higher than 5th or 6th in the table and never compete for a title. If he’s going to chip away a few points here and there from our rivals in the process, then by all means get rid of this hulking headache. I guess for Romelu Lukaku what started off as a fairy tale story will never have its glorified ending.

Recap of the Blues’ Summer so Far…

What an eventful summer for the world of football. With the World Cup giving football fans, both new and old, around the world, a truly remarkable spectacle to see, there was never shortage of excitement. But now, with July coming to a close, football fans around the world will once again be treated with the start of a new Premier League season in just a little over three weeks. If one can remember all the excitement and drama of last year’s Premier League title race, this year’s race may prove to be even more entertaining with all of the top flight’s top tier teams making improvements to their respective sides. The Special One himself contends that the Premier League title is open to at least six different teams. However, let’s take a look at our Blues and see what Mourinho has done to develop his “little horse” squad further.

**Quick note: Notable Loanees returning to the club: Thibaut Courtois, Oriol Romeu, Romelu Lukaku, Kurt Zouma

Return from Injury: Marco Van Ginkel

The first major move was the signing of former Arsenal midfielder Cesc Fabregas from Barcelona at an approximate cost of £30 million. Personally, I love this signing. What Fabregas brings to the team is the unique playmaking and artistic vision that at many times we were lacking throughout the season. In games such as the ones against Aston Villa, Norwich, or Sunderland, we were lacking two things: 1. A spearhead striker at attack and 2. A playmaker to carve out the congested defense we were facing. Fabregas solves half of that problem with the other half coming in the form of a well known striker from Atletico Madrid…and no it is NOT Fernando Torres…Another positive of Fabregas is his versatility. While Mata’s level of playmaking and vision rival that of Fabregas’s [trust me I was crushed to see Mata go..], he didn’t offer the versatility and flexibility on the pitch that Fabregas does. Mata is really limited to the central role while still playing the wings though to less effect. However, with Fabregas, Mourinho can plug him in a deep-lying playmaker role either in the 4-3-3 or even in the 4-2-3-1 formations. Or he can bring him up to the 10 role while pushing Oscar back in a deeper role. He also brings a pedigree of success and winning mentality which honestly you can never get enough of in the locker room.

Next major move: The sale of fan favorite David Luiz. Though I loved Luiz as a character and as a fan favorite his play on the pitch, especially last season in the crucial games, definitely warranted this move. Throw in the major amount of cash we got from PSG…a whooping £50 million…this sale was a major win for Chelsea. Honestly, I don’t know what PSG were doing but hey, I’m not going to complain with a £50 million gain for a defender who can’t seem to control his head and show the discipline needed to play the position.

Next up is the raid of Atletico Madrid’s stars. The combined purchase of Felipe Luis and Diego Costa cost our Blues around £52 million. Luis provides instant class at the LB position after Ashley Cole’s departure and even though Azpilicueta’s brilliant revelation at LB last season, with Luis we can shift him back to his natural position at RB. Though I feel we may have overpaid a bit for a 29 year old defender, this is a great tactical pick up in my opinion. Luis worked with returning goalkeeper Courtois at Atletico for the past couple years. This will help Courtois adjust to a relatively new back four and give him a smoother transition as he works his way into his new place in front of Chelsea’s goal. Compound that with his proven linkage and communication with striker Diego Costa, this is Mourinho making sure his two stars are transitioning smoothly. With Costa, to be honest, I have not seen the guy play much and the times I have seen him I wasn’t overwhelmed or sorely impressed…but you really can’t argue with his goal scoring record..37 goals for a top class team is nothing to ignore. While many may point to Shevchenko’s previous record or Torres’ records for their former clubs, you have to consider the system’s they are coming from. With Torres, he came into a completely different system..Liverpool’s service and build up were completely different from Chelsea’s target man style. In Costa, you have a striker who has played on a team in Atletico who played in a similar fashion to Chelsea. With his proven record, Costa should be able to score at a much higher rate than our previous strike options at the very least…

 

The purchase of Mario Pasalic is honestly one I do not know much about. However, a recent loan move should allow me to follow him a bit more closely and see how he develops. The final sale [so far…] this window is the sale of Demba Ba to Beskitas for £4,700,00. Not much to say here…with Costa, Lukaku, Torres, and one more we will mention soon…Ba was set to go and I wish him the best.

The last but not least move was the re-signing of club legend Didier Drogba to a one year contract. This is a good move in my opinion. Drogba can serve as a decent option off the bench while also serving as a mentor for Drogba and Lukaku. Lukaku especially I feel needs that mentoring both on and off the pitch. More on that later tho…

Overall, a GREAT transfer window for the Blues. In total, we spent £85,000,000 but with the January sales of Mata and De Bruyne we brought in close to £100,000,000. With the new rules of FFP coming into effect, a brilliant showing by our front office and Mourinho. To be able to comply with FFP while our rivals continue to spend like there’s no tomorrow is one thing, but to have our depth and the world class quality that defines our squad is a thing of beauty if I may say. Mourinho and his staff are definitely showing the rest of the football world how to manage the team on the pitch as well as off the pitch.True Mourinho masterclass indeed. And again, thanks for reading guys!

Welcome!

Hello readers! Just wanted to say thank you for checking out this site..whether it was shared to you or you just happened to stumble upon I do appreciate you taking the time to read my thoughts and opinions. The material written here is SIMPLY an expression of opinion…I understand that everyone is entitled to their own opinions as well as their own allegiances but please show respect to me and other contributors to this site. On the same note, discussion is welcome and encouraged! Its always a pleasure to have friendly discussions on football! Without further ado, hope you all enjoy